Method and apparatus for intermittently feeding measured lengths of weft thread from a supply bobbin to an injector for injection into a storage-type shuttle

ABSTRACT

The thread is guided over a rotating drum, preferably of conical surface, turning in synchronism with the movement of the shuttle; a presser roller is resiliently urged to press the thread against the drum surface, the presser roller being lifted off engagement with the drum surface (and thus permitting the thread to remain stationary) by a cam follower engaging a cam track on the loom, so that synchronous injection of picks into the storage magazine of a shuttle, and shuttle movement is ensured.

United States Patent [50] Field ofSearch... 139/13, 122,127,127 P, 224

[72] Inventor AdolfLinka Kaiserstrasse 91, 7417 Pfullingen, Germany 858,455

Appl. No. [22] Filed Sept. 16, 1969 Patented Dec. 14, 1971 [32] Priority Sept. 20, 1968 1 3,256,914 3,3l9,663 5/1967 Fend Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Attorney-Flynn & Frishauf Germany ne wmm hm. gwu .mm 3% n 0 m m my VS .m o: 6

54 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERMITTENTLY FEEDING MEASURED LENGTHS 0F WEFT THREAD FROM A SUPPLY ABSTRACT BOBBIN TO AN INJECTOR FOR INJECTION INTO Preferably Surface A STORAGE TYPE SHUTTLE movement of the shuttle; a presser roller 15 reslhentl m surface (and thus ry) by a cam follower so that synchronous injection of picks into the storage magazine Ofa shuttle, and shuttle movement is ensuredpress the thread against the drum surface, the presser roller being lifted Off engagement with the dru permitting the thread to remain stationa engaging a cam track on the 100m,

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SHEET 1 BF 2 EIIIIII PATENTED use 1 4 I97! sum 2 [IF 2 400m A M/K Inventor METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERMI'I'I'EN'ILY FEEDING MEASURED LENGTHS OF WEFI THREAD FROM A SUPPLY BOBBIN TO AN INJECTOR FOR INJECTION INTO A STORAGE-TYPE SHUTTLE The present invention relates to a method, and to apparatus to carry out the method, to periodically supply measured length of weft thread to a continuously movable shuttle by means of a pneumatic injector.

It has previously been proposed to supply picks, that is measured lengths of weft threads to continuously movable shuttles by means of pneumatic injectors associated with the shuttles of circular looms. Pneumatic injectors permit taking of thread material from one or more supply bobbins and to inject measured lengths of the threads into the shuttles themselves. Since the various separate shuttles are outside of the shed only during a limited period of time, and the shuttle must be supplied with the thread during this period of time, it is difficult to provide a mechanical arrangement to inject the thread into the shuttle in synchronism and to supply the thread in a predetermined measured length in proper order for later distribution by the shuttle. The weft thread can be injected into the storage magazine of the shuttle with substantial speed by means of pneumatic injection; it is, however, necessary to accurately measure the length of the picks and to synchronize the supply of the picks to the injection with the movement of the shuttle itself, so that the shuttle will be supplied with the proper length of thread during the time that it is actually beyond the shed.

Pneumatic injection apparatus to introduce a pick into the shed itself, and cooperating with measuring devices are known; the length of thepick determines the width of the material which is being woven. These devices and apparatus do not, however, cooperate with shuttles so that the conditions under which they operate are entirely different from those where the weft thread is guided by a shuttle. Introducing a certain, measured length of weft thread into the storage magazine of a shuttle by means of pneumatic injectors requires periodically measuring a thread length and simultaneously delivering the thread with predetermined unifonn speed to the injector, so that the thread can be transported into the magazine of the shuttle. Measuring systems and methods which supply a predetermined length of material to the injector with uncontrolled speed are therefore not suitable for introduction into the storage magazine of a shuttle.

A previously proposed apparatus (see Czechoslovakian Pat. No. 84,859 excerpted below) describes a structure which solves the problem; in actual use it has been found that the periodic drive of rolls, as suggested in the aforementioned Czech patent, causes substantial wear and tear on the drive elements and the measured length could not be accurately determined due to the inertia of the mechanical components which are being driven.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method, and an apparatus to carry out the method which enables a pneumatic injector to introduce a measured length of weft thread into the shuttle of a weaving loom, the length being accurately predetermined and the supply speed of the thread being uniform.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, a thread is guided over a rotating drum which may have a conical surface; rotation of the drum is synchronized with movement of the shuttle and a presser roller is resiliently urged to press the thread between the roller and the surface of the drum when thread is to be fed. Movement of the presser roller in engagement with the drum surface (and thus causing feed of the thread) is controlled by a cam and camfollower arrangement secured to the weaving loom itself so that frictional engagement of the thread with the drum will always be synchronized with shuttle motion as determined by machine speed.

The thread, supplied by the drum when in contact with the roller is-then supplied to an injector which introduces the thread itself into the shuttle. Since the drum is rotating constantly, only the small mass of the presser roller need to be moved, or accelerated so that little inertia has to be overcome and wear and tear on the movable parts is minimized. The drum itself rotates continuously, driven by the loom; the presser roller will continue to rotate due to its inertia even when lifted off contact with the drum, so that its peripheral speed at the next working cycle when thread is to be supplied will be only slightly less than that of the drum, thus causing a minimum amount of relative friction and thus wear and tear. The force with which the presser roller engages the surface of the drum is best set to be a predetermined amount by controlling the pressure of a spring. To further decrease wear and tear, the surfaces of the drum and the presser roller are so chosen that one is smooth and hard, whereas the other one is elastic and adhering, for example by forming the surface of the drum of hard chrome steel, whereas the surface of the roller is covered with rubber or plastic material. The method, as well as the apparatus can be used for circular looms, as well as for linear looms having a continuous shuttlle drive.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 correspond to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the aforementioned Czchechoslovakian Pat. No. 84,859, and show a vertical section, and a plan view, respectively, of a suitable shuttle; and

FIG. 3 illustrates, schematically, in perspective view a thread injection mechanism in accordance with the present invention, and in connection with which the method of the present invention can be explained; a cutting device to cut the thread to appropriate length has been omitted from the showing of the drawing, since such cutters, and their control, themselves, are well known and a suitable location can be selected, with respect to the injector, in accordance with design requirements of the machine as a whole, if such cut off apparatus is desired.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sidewalls 101 of the shuttle 102 have uniformly distributed transverse walls 103 arranged therein, in slanting arrangement and parallel to each other. The front portion of the shuttle 102 has a tongue-shaped blade 105 secured thereto, as counterelement to a cutter plate 107 with an opening 106 above the path of the shuttle 102 to cut off the preceding shuttle thread.

This arrangement to insert the pick is provided in the space between the sections of a loom, such as a circular weaving machine, one to each such space. Above the path of the shuttle 1102, an injector 108 is supplied :in which the required length of the pick 109 is delivered by a length-measuring device. A valve, not shown, opens the air supplied to the injector as soon as the shuttle is therebellow. The valve can be operated in various ways, for example: an arm of a contact 1112 extends into the space between the sections of the weaving loom. By operating the contact I12, an electromagnetic valve for compressed air is opened. As soon as the shuttle has passed by, contact 112 opens and the valve closes. The injector preferably is made of glass which, in contrast to otherwise utilized metallic injectors, is much cheaper.

OPERATION Shuttles 102 travel, for example, through a progressive shed of a circular weaving loom. As soon as the shuttle has passed a width of woven material, and is in the space between material to be woven, that its, where there are no warp threads, contact 112 will be operated, operating the valve. The forward side of the shuttle B02 travels below the opening of the injector 108 and the pick 109 is delivered by the measuring device 110 with a suitable higher speed than the shuttle speed, so that the pick, by the blowing of the injector between the transverse walls 103, will insert itself therein in loops H15, for so long as the shuttle is beneath the injector 1108. Suitably, the edges of the transverse walls 103 are roughed, so that, upon later pulling off the pick, a suitable braking effect is obtained, which also prevents slipping. The transverse walls 103 separate the loops of the thread from each other and prevent matting. The angle of the slanted transverse walls is determined by aerodynamic consideration and, preferably, suitably slanted when the injector is fixed (as seen) at M, FIGS. 1 and 3) for shuttle movement in one direction.

After supply of this requisite length of the shuttle, the shuttle travels past contact 112 and supply of compressed air is blocked and the inserted pick 109 is woven. As soon as the next shuttle arrives under the injector 108, the shuttle thread of the preceding shuttle is cut since it passes through the cutting opening 106 of plate 107 which passes by edge 105 of the shuttle. Simultaneously, the pulse to open the valve occurs, and the device supplies the shuttle thread to the next shuttle.

The high speed with which the shuttle thread can be supplied by the injector can, practically, not be fully utilized. it is therefore necessary that the speed with which the thread is inserted in the shuttle depends not on the speed of the air, but rather is adjustable with respect to the speed of weaving. This is obtained by determining the speed of the supply of the thread only by the supply speed of the measuring device with which the thread is delivered to the injector.

Afixed supply bobbin 1 supplies thread 6 to a pneumatic injector, the amount of weft thread 6 being supplied to the magazine 4 of shuttles 5 being predetermined. Thread 6 is guided over the surface of a drum 7. Drum 7 has a hard chrome surface which is smooth, it may be cylindrical; preferably drum 7 has a conical surface. Drum 7 cooperates with a pressure roller 8 which is journaled to be freely running on a bent-over arm of a level 9. During predetermined periods of time, lever 9 is rotated to move the roller 8 against the surface of the drum 7, so that the thread 6 is frictionally engaged between the surface of drum 7 and roller 8 to be transported thereby. The surface of roller 8 is preferably elastic, somewhat adhering material such as rubber or plastic. Lever 9 is rotatably held in bearing blocks 10, 11, secured against axial movement and swingably mounted therein. An extension of lever 9 carries a roller 12, functioning as a cam follower and engaging a cam surface 18 fixed to the rotor 14 of a circular loom, or if the device is to be associated with a straight-loom to an equivalent movable drive. Lever 9 carries a pin 15 which is secured to a spring 17, held in a bracket 16; spring 17 has the tendency to urge lever 9 to swing in a direction such that presser roller 8 will engage the surface of drum 7, as well as to urge cam follower 12 in engagement with cam 13.

Cam 13 is arranged in such a manner that the high points, or lands thereof lift presser roller 8 off the surface of drum 7, against the tension of spring 17. The position of the cam is synchronized with the movement of the shuttle 5, or its shuttle storage magazine 4, respectively, in such a manner that thread can be injected into the storage magazine when the shuttle is in a proper position outside of the shed. The position of injector 2 is so chosen that shuttle 5 can accept the entire length of the weft thread before passing into the shed (not shown in the drawings).

When presser roller 8 is lifted off the surface of drum 7, thread 6 will slide over the smooth surface of the drum which is driven constantly. The thread itself is held against creeping by a thread brake schematically shown at 18. Presser roller 8, preferably mounted in an antifriction bearing, is rotating freely. A thread guide 19 is located in advance of the drum 7, to guide the position of the thread on the surface of the drum;

1 thread guide 19 is adjustable in an axial direction (with respect to the axis of the drum 7) as schematically indicated by an adjustment wheel 20 so that the surface region of the drum to which the thread is being applied can be selected. Thus, with a conical drum, the amount of thread being supplied can be chosen. At positions where the diameterof the drum 7 is smaller, the amount of thread being supplied during the time period that roller 8 engages the surface of the drum, will be less.

A wheel 21, connected to a gearing 22, schematically indicated as a gearbox, is driven from the drive of the rotor 14, or other suitable movable element of the loom, so that a definite, predetermined relationship will be established between the surface speed of the drum 7 and the machine element (here the rotor 14 of the loom) and thus the movement of the shuttle itself. Perfect synchronization between thread delivery and shuttle movement is thus ensured.

The present invention has been shown as applied to a circular loom; various modifications and changes may be made within the inventive concept to satisfy design requirements and loom arrangements.

lclaim:

1. Method of intermittently feeding measured lengths of weft thread from a supply bobbin through an injector and placing the thread into a shuttle comprising guiding the measured length of thread in a path from the bobbin to the injector over a rotating drum, the injector being fixedly mounted;

moving the shuttle in a path past the injector;

driving the drum at a speed synchronized with movement of the shuttle; and

pressing said thread into frictional engaging contact with the surface of the drum for a predetermined period of time dependent on the measured length of the thread, and in synchronism with movement of the shuttle past the injector to remove thread from the supply bobbin during the period of time the thread is pressed against the drum surface and while the shuttle is moving past the injector.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the drum has a conical surface, including the step of guiding the thread to a predetermined axial point on the conical surface of the drum to change the length of the measured thread.

3. Apparatus to feed a measured length of weft thread (6) from a supply bobbin (1) into a driven shuttle (5) comprising an injector (2) having said thread (6) fed therethrough;

the shuttle moving in a path past the injector as the thread is injected therein;

a continuously rotating drum (7) located in the path of the thread form the supply bobbin (1) to the injector (2);

means (21, 22) driving said drum at a speed synchronized with the speed of the shuttle (5), and dependent on the storage capacity (4) of the shuttle;

a contact roll (8) movable between a contacting position to press said thread into frictional contact with the surface of the drum and a free position permitting said drum to rotate beneath said thread without engagement therewith;

and means (12, 13, 9) connected with said roll (8) and the shuttle movement and moving said roll into contacting position in synchronism with the shuttle motion past the injector 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means connected to said shuttle drive includes a cam track (13) driven in synchronism with the drive of the shuttle (5 and a cam follower (12) interconnected with said roller and in engagement with said cam track.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including a lever having a bent-away end, said roller being mounted on the end of said lever;

said cam follower being connected to said lever to swing said lever about its axis and thus swing said roll at the end of said lever between said positions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means connected with said roll and shuttle drive includes means (17) resiliently pressing said roll into contact with said drum;

and means lifting said roll form said contact in opposition to the resilient pressing force in synchronism with shuttle motion.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3, including thread guide means (19) and a thread brake (18) located in the path of the thread between the bobbin (1) and said drum.

8. Apparatus according to claim 3, for use in a loom wherein said means (21) driving said drum directly interconnect a movable element of said loom (l4) and said drum 7).

9. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said drum (7) and a thread guide (19) is provided in the path of the thread and said roll (8) have cooperating surfaces, one surface being of h drum n axia ly j le Wi h respect to the drum to hard and smooth and the other elastic and adh ri adjust the position thereof with respect thereto and thus affect 10. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drum surthe length thread' face is conical; 5 W W W w 

1. Method of intermittently feeding measured lengths of weft thread from a supply bobbin through an injector and placing the thread into a shuttle comprising guiding the measured length of thread in a path from the bobbin to the injector over a rotating drum, the injector being fixedly mounted; moving the shuttle in a path past the injector; driving the drum at a speed synchronized with movement of the shuttle; and pressing said thread into frictional engaging contact with the surface of the drum for a predetermined period of time dependent on the measured length of the thread, and in synchronism with movement of the shuttle past the injector to remove thread from the supply bobbin during the period of time the thread is pressed against the drum surface and while the shuttle is moving past the injector.
 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the drum has a conical surface, including the step of guiding the thread to a predetermined axial point on the conical surface of the drum to change the length of the measured thread.
 3. Apparatus to feed a measured length of weft thread (6) from a supply bobbin (1) into a driven shuttle (5) comprising an injector (2) having said thread (6) fed therethrough; the shuttle moving in a path past the injector as the thread is injected therein; a continuously rotating drum (7) located in the path of the thread from the supply bobbin (1) to the injector (2); means (21, 22) driving said drum at a speed synchronized with the speed of the shuttle (5), and dependent on the storage capacity (4) of the shuttle; a contact roll (8) movable between a contacting position to press said thread into frictional contact with the surface of the drum and a free position permitting said drum to rotate beneath said thread without engagement therewith; and means (12, 13, 9) connected with said roll (8) and the shuttle movement and moving said roll into contacting position in synchronism with tHe shuttle motion past the injector (2).
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means connected to said shuttle drive includes a cam track (13) driven in synchronism with the drive of the shuttle (5); and a cam follower (12) interconnected with said roller and in engagement with said cam track.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including a lever having a bent-away end, said roller being mounted on the end of said lever; said cam follower being connected to said lever to swing said lever about its axis and thus swing said roll at the end of said lever between said positions.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means connected with said roll and shuttle drive includes means (17) resiliently pressing said roll into contact with said drum; and means lifting said roll from said contact in opposition to the resilient pressing force in synchronism with shuttle motion.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 3, including thread guide means (19) and a thread brake (18) located in the path of the thread between the bobbin (1) and said drum.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 3, for use in a loom wherein said means (21) driving said drum directly interconnect a movable element of said loom (14) and said drum (7).
 9. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said drum (7) and said roll (8) have cooperating surfaces, one surface being hard and smooth and the other elastic and adhering.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drum surface is conical; and a thread guide (19) is provided in the path of the thread of the drum and axially adjustable with respect to the drum to adjust the position thereof with respect thereto and thus affect the length of the thread. 